


Study Session

by ostentatiouslyrealistic



Series: Timeless Moments [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gentle fluff, M/M, Shyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 04:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10959315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ostentatiouslyrealistic/pseuds/ostentatiouslyrealistic
Summary: There are multiple ways to say 'I like you'. This is one of them.





	Study Session

"How is it that you never try, and yet you do so much better than me?" Shirabu gripes, leaning back on his palms. Kawanishi shrugs, a little difficult with his head resting on folded arms. They're both sitting cross-legged on the floor Shirabu's dorm, homework splayed out in front of them on the low table.

"Taichi. Oi, don't fall asleep on me here," Shirabu uses his pencil to jab at his shoulder and pulls away when a hand comes up to swat it away.

"Can't help it. Practice tires me out," Kawanishi mumbles, pulling himself upright with effort. He picks up his pencil and starts to twirl it between his fingers as he eyes the mathematics textbook with hooded eyes. Immediately, he yawns and flops back down onto the table.

"Taichi," Shirabu complains, "get off of my work."

A quiet "no" comes from somewhere beneath the head of dark tawny hair, and Shirabu resists the urge to pick up his English workbook and smack him over the head with it. Instead, he pokes him with the eraser end of his pencil and feels a small streak of satisfaction when his friend groans loudly in exasperation.

"Let me sleep. Don't you care for my wellbeing?"

"Not really, nope."

Kawanishi turns his head and peeks at him with one eye, "Really?"

The gaze is piercing as it is truly inquisitive, and Shirabu's breath catches in his throat. He's not used to seeing any type of non-apathetic emotion in Kawanishi's eyes other than exhaustion or amusement.

Shirabu turns his head, unable to keep eye contact with his teammate. He can still feel the gaze fixated on him, and he shakes his head, opting to return to his homework. As if he weren't already hyperaware of Kawanishi's presence, a quiet, soundless laugh causes him to feel even more self conscious.

It's only during these private moments that he hears the wordless amusement radiate from his teammate. Kawanishi usually looks halfway to death whenever they have practice, and he looks even closer to accepting death whenever they're forced to run drills.

Slowly, Kawanishi pulls himself upright and props his head up against his hand, finger tapping his cheek. Shirabu refuses to look away from his workbook—he can feel the tips of his ears burning, and he knows Kawanishi can see, though he doesn't comment on it.

"You know," Kawanishi starts, picking up his pencil and easily twirling it between his long fingers, "I care for you."

Shirabu feels his heart come to a stop, and his pencil pauses momentarily on his worksheet. The burn travels down his ears towards the back of his neck, and he curses himself for his obvious reaction. And his inability to think coherently when flustered.

A light tap on his forehead shakes him out of dazed state, and he glances up to see that Kawanishi is much closer than before. Not only does his heart stop, but he's pretty sure the rest of his organs have ceased to function properly. Kawanishi gazes at him with hooded eyes, and a hint of a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. He lightly raps Shiarbu's head with his knuckles.

"That's why you should take a break before you burn your brain out."

"Taichi!" Shirabu swats his hand away, still facing downwards as he hides his wobbly smile away from his friend. Kawanishi huffs a laugh and leans back to toward his own work, and Shirabu finds comfort and sadness with the loss of his warm presence. They work in near silence until he's able to regain his voice.

"Icareforyoutoo," he mutters, and his friend glances at him curiously.

"What was that?"

"I care for you too," Shirabu says and feels the burn more clearly throughout the upper half of his body. He peeks up at Kawanishi, who hasn't looked up from his work, though now there's a small, definite smile playing on his lips and a light flush spreading up the back of his neck. The sight is extremely endearing, and Shirabu exhales when he realizes he'd been holding his breath for the last minute.

"I know."

The response is soft and gentle, just like Kawanishi, and something hot and tight coils in Shirabu's chest. They share a tender look with each other before returning to work in silence save for the light scratching of pencil on paper and a pounding heartbeat that reinforces that Shirabu is definitely in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Watch as I spiral deeper and deeper into rarepair hell.


End file.
